Washington DC March 6, 2008 – In response to today’s shooting at Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav, Rabbi David Saperstein, Director of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, issued the following statement:

We are deeply saddened by the tragic attack on Yeshivat Mercaz HaRav resulting in the loss of at least seven lives. It has long been clear that those opposed to peace would be tempted to disrupt an already strained peace process. A distinctive character of terrorism against Israel is that for decades, it has focused on civilian targets, particularly those including children. So too today, and we mourn with the families and loved ones of those whose lives were cut short in today’s bloodshed at the yeshiva. It is particularly painful to know that this attack was a calculated effort to prey on yeshiva students whose custom it is to study ancient and holy texts on Thursday evenings. Equally dismaying are the celebrations of this attack taking place on the streets in Gaza – the location from which rockets targeting civilian centers in Israel have been launched unremittingly over the past months.

We call on all those who believe in the necessity of peace to condemn today’s attack in unqualified terms. We join with people of goodwill around the world who pray for a peaceful and secure future for Israel and all the people of the Middle East.